Human-Computer Interaction Design

Course Content

You will study seven core modules and one elective module that cover all aspects of the user-centred design and evaluation process. All modules are delivered through a combination of lectures, online activities and interactive workshops and tutorials. These include sessions delivered by guest lecturers from industry.

Course Structure

Interaction Design provides the core concepts and skills that underpin the design of interactive systems. You will learn fundamental design principles and you will design and evaluate interactive digital technologies using techniques such as personas, scenarios and prototyping. You will apply creativity tools and techniques to technology-driven service design, creating original and useful products in Creativity in Design. The needs of diverse user groups, including designing for Web accessibility to support disabled users, are examined in Inclusive Design. In Information Architecture, you will learn about the structural design of digital information environments, creating design deliverables such as domain models, wireframes and user journeys. You will also evaluate information architectures from a user perspective. You will gain further evaluation experience in Evaluating Interactive Systems, where you will discover the latest research and learn techniques for undertaking both quantitative and qualitative HCI evaluations - including user testing, Heuristic Evaluation and Cognitive Walkthroughs. You will understand how to design for users’ strengths and limitations from a cognitive psychology perspective in Cognition and Technologies, using frameworks such as Distributed Cognition and Activity Theory, to support the design of novel interactive technologies, e.g. gestural user interfaces and wearables. You will also undertake an independent Research Project, for which our module on Research Methods and Professional Issues will prepare you.

A series of optional, but highly recommended, practitioner tutorials supplement the taught modules. These include talks, workshops and field trips. Previous tutorials have featured HCI and UX practitioners from prestigious firms including Foolproof, Futureheads, eBay and Google.

Here is a summary of what you will learn from each of our core and elective modules:

Taught Core Modules: Interaction design

• You will appreciate the importance of good usability and User Experience for the design of interactive systems.
• You will develop an understanding of important Interaction Design paradigms (e.g. User-Centred Design, Participatory Design, Contextual Design).
• You will apply HCI principles and guidelines to the design of a wide variety of interactive systems.
• You will be able to carry out user research, conceptual and detailed design and evaluation as part of the user-centred design process.
• You will engage with seminal and cutting edge HCI research.

Creativity in design

• You will understand the nature and roles of creativity in design projects.
• You will be able to select and deploy different creativity techniques and methods in user-centred and co-design projects.
• You will master creativity processes, techniques and tools in design work.

Information architecture

• You will design the structural foundation of digital information environments, such as Websites and apps, to allow users to find the information they need and find it easily.
• You will understand theory of how to organise, structure and label digital information to support user navigation and information-seeking.
• You will create models and prototypes to drive the user-centred design of digital information environments (e.g. domain models, sitemaps, wireframes).
• You will develop skills in evaluating information architectures from a user perspective.

Evaluating interactive systems

• You will understand and apply a range of techniques for evaluating usability, including user-based and expert evaluation techniques (e.g. User Testing, Guerrilla Testing, Heuristic Evaluation).
• You will compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of different evaluation methods and associated methods of data collection.
• You will develop skills for evaluating the broader User Experience, beyond usability.

Inclusive design

• You will develop skills for designing and evaluating accessible and inclusive interactive systems for a diverse range of users (e.g. children, older users, users with disabilities).
• You will develop and understanding of theoretical foundations in Cognitive Psychology as they relate to inclusive design.
• You will apply international accessibility standards and guidelines (e.g. WCAG 2.0, Section 508) to the design of inclusive interactive systems.

Cognition and technologies

• You will understand the role of cognition on user behaviour when using interactive systems.
• You will design complex novel interactive systems based on an understanding of cognitive theories.
• You will analyse complex interactions from a cognitive perspective.

Research, methods and professional issues

• You will acquire and develop skills for planning and carrying out independent, original research (which you will later apply when completing your Masters dissertation).
• You will be able to use appropriate quantitative and qualitative techniques for data collection and analysis.
• You will learn to find, interpret, and use existing academic research as a basis for your research activity.
• You will explore the legal, ethical and professional implications of applied work in the information and computer sciences and use this knowledge in your research.

Taught Elective modules: Web applications development

• You will develop a detailed understanding of the core components of Web-based applications.
• You will create Web applications that incorporate dynamic and engaging front-end user interfaces.
• You will understand the importance of security and data access in Web applications.

Data visualization

• You will understand and apply techniques for the visual presentation of data to support user exploration and understanding.
• You will create an engaging data visualization to reveal the structure in data sets.
• You will develop programming skills to support the development of interactive graphical applications for visualization.

Telemedicine

• You will develop an understanding of the fundamentals of e-health technologies and providing healthcare at a distance.
• You will design interactive systems to support medical decision-making and patient care.
• You will apply standards and guidelines to the design of healthcare systems